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Linux Device Driver Development Cookbook
Linux Device Driver Development Cookbook

Linux Device Driver Development Cookbook: Learn kernel programming and build custom drivers for your embedded Linux applications

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Profile Icon Rodolfo Giometti
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€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3 (2 Ratings)
Paperback May 2019 356 pages 1st Edition
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€17.99 €26.99
Paperback
€32.99
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Free Trial
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Rodolfo Giometti
Arrow right icon
€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3 (2 Ratings)
Paperback May 2019 356 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€17.99 €26.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€17.99 €26.99
Paperback
€32.99
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Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

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Linux Device Driver Development Cookbook

A Peek Inside the Kernel

Simple operating systems (such as MS-DOS) always execute in a single CPU mode, but Unix-like operating systems use dual modes to effectively implement timesharing and resource allocation and protection. At any time in Linux, the CPU is either operating in a trusted kernel mode (where we can do everything we wish) or in a restricted user mode (where some operations are not allowed). All user processes execute in user mode, whereas the core kernel itself and most device drivers (except ones implemented in user space) run in kernel mode so that they have unrestricted access to the entire processor instruction set and to the full memory and I/O space.

When a user mode process needs to get access to peripherals, it cannot do it by itself, but it has to channel requests through device drivers or other kernel mode code via system calls, which play a major role...

Technical requirements

Adding custom code to the sources

As a first step, let's see how we can add some simple code to our kernel sources. In this recipe, we'll simply add silly code just to demonstrate how easy it is, but further into this book, we're going to add even more complex code.

Getting ready

Since we need to add our code to the Linux sources, let's go into the directory where all sources are located. On my system, I use the Projects/ldddc/linux/ path located in my home directory. Here is what the kernel sources look like:

$ cd Projects/ldddc/linux/
$ ls
arch Documentation Kbuild mm scripts virt
block drivers Kconfig modules.builtin security vmlinux
built-in.a firmware...

Using kernel messages

As already stated, the serial console is very helpful if we need to set up a system from scratch, but it's also very useful if we wish to see kernel messages as soon as they are generated. In order to generate kernel messages, we can use several functions and, in this recipe, we will take a look at them and how to display messages on the serial console or over an SSH connection.

Getting ready

Our ESPRESSObin is the system that generates kernel messages, so we need a connection to it. Through the serial console, these messages are automatically displayed as soon as they arrive, but if we are using an SSH connection, we can still display them by reading specific files, as with the following command...

Working with kernel modules

Knowing how to add custom code to the kernel is useful but, when we have to write a new driver, it can be more useful writing our code as a kernel module. In fact, by using a module, we can easily modify kernel code and then test it without rebooting the system every time! We simply have to remove and then reinsert the module (after the necessary modifications) in order to test the new version of our code.

In this recipe, we'll take a look at how kernel modules can get compiled even on a directory outside the kernel tree.

Getting ready

To turn our dummy-code.c file into a kernel module, we only have to change our kernel settings, allowing the compilation of our example module (by replacing...

Using module parameters

During kernel module development, it can be very useful having some way to dynamically set some variables during module insertion and not only at compile time. In Linux, this can be done by using the kernel module's parameters, which allow arguments to be passed to a module by specifying them on the command line of the insmod command.

Getting ready

In order to show an example, let's consider a situation where we have a new module information file, module_par.c (this file is also in our GitHub repository).

How to do it...

Let's see...

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Key benefits

  • Use kernel facilities to develop powerful drivers
  • Learn core concepts for developing device drivers using a practical approach
  • Program a custom character device to get access to kernel internals

Description

Linux is a unified kernel that is widely used to develop embedded systems. As Linux has turned out to be one of the most popular operating systems worldwide, the interest in developing proprietary device drivers has also increased. Device drivers play a critical role in how the system performs and ensure that the device works in the manner intended. By exploring several examples on the development of character devices, the technique of managing a device tree, and how to use other kernel internals, such as interrupts, kernel timers, and wait queue, you’ll be able to add proper management for custom peripherals to your embedded system. You’ll begin by installing the Linux kernel and then configuring it. Once you have installed the system, you will learn to use different kernel features and character drivers. You will also cover interrupts in-depth and understand how you can manage them. Later, you will explore the kernel internals required for developing applications. As you approach the concluding chapters, you will learn to implement advanced character drivers and also discover how to write important Linux device drivers. By the end of this book, you will be equipped with the skills you need to write a custom character driver and kernel code according to your requirements.

Who is this book for?

This book is for anyone who wants to develop their own Linux device drivers for embedded systems. Basic hands-on experience with the Linux operating system and embedded concepts is necessary.

What you will learn

  • Become familiar with the latest kernel releases (4.19/5.x) running on the ESPRESSOBin devkit, an ARM 64-bit machine
  • Download, configure, modify, and build kernel sources
  • Add and remove a device driver or a module from the kernel
  • Understand how to implement character drivers to manage different kinds of computer peripherals
  • Get well-versed with kernel helper functions and objects that can be used to build kernel applications
  • Gain comprehensive insights into managing custom hardware with Linux from both the kernel and user space

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : May 31, 2019
Length: 356 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781838558802
Vendor :
Linux Foundation
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Product Details

Publication date : May 31, 2019
Length: 356 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781838558802
Vendor :
Linux Foundation
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

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Frequently bought together


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Linux Device Driver Development Cookbook
€32.99
Linux Kernel Programming
€41.99
Linux Device Drivers Development
€36.99
Total 111.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

13 Chapters
Installing the Development System Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
A Peek Inside the Kernel Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with Char Drivers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using the Device Tree Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Managing Interrupts and Concurrency Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Miscellaneous Kernel Internals Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Advanced Char Driver Operations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Additional Information: Working with Char Drivers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Additional Information: Using the Device Tree Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Additional Information: Managing Interrupts and Concurrency Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Additional Information: Miscellaneous Kernel Internals Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Additional Information: Advanced Char Driver Operations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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(2 Ratings)
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1 star 50%
Michele Apuzzo Aug 19, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I’m one of those Linux users who wants to deepen his knowledge into notions that I’ve always found hard to explore: the web offers information here and there, but the point is how to connect the dots together. This book offers exactly what I was looking for: a very useful cookbook that, step by step, introduces the reader to concepts like device tree, interrupt management and atomic operation. All of this is done using a practical approach with examples and snippets of code. Thanks to this book, I could eventually comprehend the nuances between mutexes and spinlock and understand the kernel timer management… the author has definitely removed the fog! I do suggest this book to anyone: both newbies and experts can find such reading extremely useful for their daily job.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazon Customer Dec 21, 2019
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
I got kindle edition today. But I can't read this book because the edit state is a mess(See the location 900 ~ 1000 pages). Publishing officials should check the publication status right now. Send me a readable book..chunghan.yi@gmail.com
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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